Donald Trump’s incoming “border czar” Tom Homan has led a consulting firm that openly brags about helping private companies secure federal contracts. Asked about this work, Homan says he has recused himself “from any involvement, discussion, input, or decision of any future government contracts.”
Homan, who previously directed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the first Trump administration, has also led a conservative nonprofit group, Border911, alongside an executive for a major federal contractor.
Homan is notorious for orchestrating the first Trump administration’s family separation policy, when migrant children and parents were torn apart at the border. According to a Department of Homeland Security report, as of April 2024, there were still about 1,400 children who were not confirmed to have been reunited with their families.
Last week, Homan made headlines for once again publicly pitching the idea of family separation — this time, with a twist. Homan said he would present families with children born in the U.S. with an impossible choice: separate, or leave America together.
“Here’s the issue,” Homan said. “You knew you were in the country illegally and chose to have a child. So you put your family in that position.”
Advocates aren’t only concerned with Homan’s deportation plans, but also about his ties to government contractors. His consulting firm, Homeland Strategic Consulting LLC, advertises its ability to get its clients work with the federal government. The firm says on its website: “We have a proven track record of opening doors and bringing successful relationships to our clients, resulting in tens of millions of dollars of federal contracts to private companies.”
The firm also touts its “working relations with DHS [Department of Homeland Security], DOJ [Department of Justice], DOD [Department of Defense], and numerous foreign governments around the world.” Homeland Strategic Consulting was incorporated in May 2018, days after Homan announced his resignation as Trump’s acting ICE director, according to Virginia state records.
Tony Carrk, executive director of liberal watchdog group Accountable.US, says he is worried about potential conflicts of interest. “When not presumably working on President-elect Trump’s kids-in-cages policy 2.0, does Mr. Homan intend to exploit his new title to steer more lucrative federal contracts to his homeland security clients for his own personal gain?” he asks.
Homan tells Rolling Stone: “As the incoming border czar I have recused myself from any involvement, discussion, input, or decision of any future government contracts that may be awarded by the government. Therefore, there is no conflict of interest.”
Asked whether he would name his clients, Homan did not answer. He did, however, say: “I will be filing all appropriate documents as required by ethics rules including financial disclosures.”
Homan is also an advisor for the Government Technology & Services Coalition (GTSC), a homeland security industry group. Members include the Chertoff Group, founded by Michael Chertoff, who was Secretary of Homeland Security under George W. Bush. Homan has also served on the editorial board of GTSC’s publication, Homeland Security Today.
Border911, Homan’s charitable nonprofit group, fearmongers about undocumented migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. Its slogan is: “every state is a border state.” The group holds events across the country, and in April, it held a gala at Mar-a-Lago. According to the flyer, Trump was “confirmed to attend.” Other members of Border911’s team include Rodney Scott, who was former chief of the United States Border Patrol under Trump, and Fox News contributor Sara Carter.
Derek Maltz Sr., another member of the Border911 team, is the former director of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Special Operations Division. He is currently the executive director of government relations for PenLink, a software company that makes surveillance data analysis products for law enforcement. The company has worked with ICE, the FBI, and the DEA, as well as the Texas Department of Public Safety.
But in the end, this is nothing new. “Homan will soon join a growing club of top Trump administration aides with glaring conflicts of interest that create perfect conditions for corruption and insider special treatment at the expense of everyone else,” Carrk says.
